MEG’s Kerrill Thornhill and Peter Clifford discuss the company’s healthcare management software and why ‘security is the foundation of a trusted healthcare platform’.
When Kerrill Thornhill returned to Ireland in 2008, after spending a few years working in the UK and Australia, he did so with the intention of creating a software company that made mobile and data-driven apps for clients around Ireland.
As mobile and cloud technologies disrupted a multitude of sectors, mechanical engineering graduate Thornhill noticed an opportunity for disruption in healthcare, which was still running on paper and “archaic” processes.
In 2016, Thornhill established MEG (Medical E-Governance) – a Dublin-based company that has created a healthcare digital quality management system. As Thornhill tells SiliconRepublic.com, MEG started with the initial proposition of making life easier for frontline healthcare workers, and has since evolved into an end-to-end quality management system for healthcare.
MEG’s smart system platform aims to address the administrative burdens that overwhelm healthcare workers by automating tasks, enhancing collaboration and providing real-time insights while integrating with essential hospital systems such as electronic health records. Some features of the platform include mobile-friendly data collection tools, automated reporting processes and patient experience management.
The software in action
Today, the company – which operates in more than 20 countries – is led by Thornhill, who is CEO, and chief operating officer Peter Clifford.
MEG’s software has seen use by multiple health companies, including global health-tech M42, which utilised MEG’s quality management software at its United Arab Emirates facilities to eliminate inefficiencies caused by paper-based workflows for audits and compliance tracking.
“These processes limited access to critical insights and impacted decision-making,” says Clifford. “MEG’s cloud-based platform centralised key quality management functions, enabling real-time reporting and actionable insights.
“The transformation not only saved substantial administrative time but also improved coordination across teams and supported staff in focusing more on patient outcomes.”
Disruptions
With any disruptive technology, fears over just how disruptive it may be can cause issues in its integration into previously non-digitalised sectors.
“Resistance to change can be a big challenge,” says Thornhill. “Staff may worry about disrupting existing workflows or learning new systems. Overcoming this resistance requires a good implementation plan, strong change management, clear communication, hands-on training and ongoing support to ease the transition.”
Another challenge cited by Thornhill is communication breakdowns and siloes. “Fragmented interactions between teams can stall progress, but integrated systems and early stakeholder involvement help align teams and keep everyone on the same page.”
Lastly, Thornhill says that a significant barrier to the integration of smart systems in healthcare is outdated digital infrastructure.
“Legacy systems and manual processes often fail to align with modern software,” he explains. “The answer? Gradual upgrades and phased implementation – introducing easy-to-use, scalable, flexible tools that integrate smoothly with existing operations.”
The security side
When it comes to dealing with the sort of sensitive data present in healthcare, the topics of security and privacy are, understandably, always brought up. “Security is the foundation of a trusted healthcare platform,” says Clifford.
He explains that on MEG’s platform, sensitive information is protected with encryption during storage and transfer, secure cloud hosting and strict role-based access controls to limit data visibility to authorised users.
“With a dedicated data protection officer and data protection impact assessments, MEG’s approach to compliance is proactive and transparent,” he says. “Clients are kept informed with clear documentation, offering peace of mind and allowing healthcare providers to focus on delivering care without compliance concerns.”
Tech trends
When asked about the most exciting tech trends in the healthcare industry, Thornhill instantly points to AI and machine learning, which he says MEG has incorporated into a product roadmap.
“Data is increasingly seen as the foundation for healthcare improvement – if it cannot be measured, it cannot be improved, while conversely, too much data just creates noise and inertia,” he says. “Predictive analytics plays a pivotal role here, helping healthcare providers identify trends and proactively drive quality improvements.”
He emphasises that as healthcare systems evolve, interoperability and the adoption of common standards are “critical for ensuring seamless coordination across healthcare networks”.
“We’re working with hospitals in multiple countries who are accredited by the same standards bodies – allowing us to anonymously benchmark healthcare organisations, nationally or internationally.
“This allows us to apply the learnings across multiple organisations and identify opportunities for improvement.”
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